HOSPITAL TB BLUNDER

Five people, including a child of 11, were halfway through a six-month course of antibiotics for the killer disease – but doctors yesterday told them they had made a mistake. The sixth had died of unrelated asbestos poisoning.They believe the same contaminated laboratory bottle spread traces of tuberculosis through each of the samples after routine tests in July.They were among nine cases of TB confirmed that month, compared with the usual two or three, and began their treatment in September.The cross-contamination was only uncovered last week after doctors realised none of the patients had symptoms of carrying TB and ordered genetic tests.And the red-faced experts called a meeting at Sunderland Royal Hospital yesterday to break the news and apologise to the six families, who have not been named because of patient confidentiality.They said they had acted in good faith and in the interests of patient health – and revealed that the system for testing samples at the Royal had now been overhauled to include disposable, single-use containers.Consultant physician in respiratory medicine, Niall Keaney, said none of the patients in the group, all in their 50s and 60s apart from the child, had been considered as being at risk.None had suffered side-effects from the antibiotics used to treat the disease, which can include dizziness, nausea, fever and jaundice.Dr Keaney said: "It has probably been traumatic for some of the individuals – more the relations than the patients themselves. Most of them are very pleased."They were just so thrilled. Maybe their later response would be anger, but not at the moment."Dr Keaney said about six people become seriously ill from TB every year in the city, with one death in recent years.The mistake came to light after he received a request from Health Protection Agency doctors in Newcastle for details on the dead woman's TB.He said he had never seen a patient with both TB and the asbestos-disease mesothelioma together in such a way and launched an investigation.And after DNA testing on all the TB cases in the region in the past two years, the six came back with identical genetic patterns – and the gaffe was discovered.Dr Keaney added: "I did feel embarrassed, but I knew I was giving good news."Looking back with hindsight, I shouldn't have believed the result, but I couldn't afford not to believe it."Carol Harries, director of corporate affairs at City Hospitals Sunderland, said: "Clearly, we apologise to all those concerned."The important thing for us is that we use such incidents as a learning exercise and it doesn't happen again."